Chicago-based gallery moniquemeloche has one of the fair’s most breathtaking installations: Ebony G. Patterson’s …when the bellying is evidenced in the arch of a back…and the coupling of gun metal birds reminds us….love is still here… (2022). This captivating, jewel-toned jacquard tapestry is adorned with glitter, costume jewelry, beads, and fabric, against a vinyl wallpaper. By midday Wednesday, the work was acquired by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Indeed, institutional representatives were heavy at the fair and circled moniquemeloche’s booth throughout the day—individuals from Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Brooklyn Museum, and ICA San Diego all stopped by. A large-scale wool “painting” by Cheryl Pope (priced in the range of $30,000–$50,000) sold to MOCA Jacksonville by midday of the VIP opening.